KENTWOOD, LA - AUGUST 30: A Red Cross worker speaks with flood evacuee Deborah Watson, 55, at a flood shelter set up in a high school gym on August 30, 2012 in Kentwood, Louisiana. Local residents evacuated to the shelter after officials announced that a dam upstream in Mississippi was in danger of bursting due to rains from Hurricane Isaac. Tens of thousands of people were asked to evacuate the area due to the high flood risk. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) less

KENTWOOD, LA - AUGUST 30: A Red Cross worker speaks with flood evacuee Deborah Watson, 55, at a flood shelter set up in a high school gym on August 30, 2012 in Kentwood, Louisiana. Local residents evacuated to ... more

Photo: John Moore, Getty Images

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SLIDELL, LA - AUGUST 30: Henry Paz fills up a fuel container for his generator at Redfish Traders, one of the few stores open following the passing of Hurricane Isaac on August 30, 2012 in Slidell, Louisiana in St. Tammany Parish. Although the weather system, now downgraded to a tropical storm, had moved north, heavy rains flooded Bayou Pattasat, which backed up into Slidell, northeast of New Orleans. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) less

SLIDELL, LA - AUGUST 30: Henry Paz fills up a fuel container for his generator at Redfish Traders, one of the few stores open following the passing of Hurricane Isaac on August 30, 2012 in Slidell, Louisiana ... more

Photo: John Moore, Getty Images

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SLIDELL, LA - AUGUST 30: Kylie Trumbaturi (L) and her sister Brittany depart their flooded home with family member Joshua Barbot (C) who came to rescue family members in a boat on August 30, 2012 in Slidell, Louisiana. The large Category 1 hurricane had slowly moved across southeast Louisiana, dumping huge amounts of rain and knocking out power to Louisianans in scattered parts of the state. The weather system has now been downgraded to a tropical storm but is still producing heavy rains and flooding as it moves north. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) less

SLIDELL, LA - AUGUST 30: Kylie Trumbaturi (L) and her sister Brittany depart their flooded home with family member Joshua Barbot (C) who came to rescue family members in a boat on August 30, 2012 in Slidell, ... more

Photo: Mario Tama, Getty Images

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LAPLACE, LA - AUGUST 30: A flooded street in the Indigo Lakes subdivision from Hurricane Isaac on August 30, 2012 in LaPlace, Louisiana. The large Category 1 hurricane had slowly moved across southeast Louisiana, dumping huge amounts of rain and knocking out power to Louisianans in scattered parts of the state. The weather system has now been downgraded to a tropical storm but is still producing heavy rains and flooding as it moves north. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) less

LAPLACE, LA - AUGUST 30: A flooded street in the Indigo Lakes subdivision from Hurricane Isaac on August 30, 2012 in LaPlace, Louisiana. The large Category 1 hurricane had slowly moved across southeast ... more

Photo: Chris Graythen, Getty Images

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SLIDELL, LA - AUGUST 30: Joshua Barbot (BACK) rescues family members (L to R) Christie, Ethan and Larry Trumbaturi from their flooded home in his boat on August 30, 2012 in Slidell, Louisiana. Hurricane Isaac storm surge caused flooding in Slidell this morning on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain. The large Level 1 hurricane slowly moved across southeast Louisiana, dumping huge amounts of rain and knocking out power to Louisianans in scattered parts of the state. The weather system has now been downgraded to a tropical storm but is still producing heavy rains and flooding as it moves north. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) less

SLIDELL, LA - AUGUST 30: Joshua Barbot (BACK) rescues family members (L to R) Christie, Ethan and Larry Trumbaturi from their flooded home in his boat on August 30, 2012 in Slidell, Louisiana. Hurricane Isaac ... more

Photo: Mario Tama, Getty Images

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Residents of the Cambridge Neighborhood in LaPlace Louisiana Wednesday Aug. 29, 2012 evacuate their neighborhood. The state sent scores of buses and dozens of high-water vehicles to help evacuate about 3,000 people from St. John the Baptist Parish after Tropical Storm Isaac pushed water from lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas into parts of LaPlace. (AP Photo/Arthur D. Lauck, The Advocate) less

Residents of the Cambridge Neighborhood in LaPlace Louisiana Wednesday Aug. 29, 2012 evacuate their neighborhood. The state sent scores of buses and dozens of high-water vehicles to help evacuate about 3,000 ... more

Photo: Arthur D. Lauck, Associated Press

Isaac hovers over Louisiana - 2 die

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New Orleans --

Isaac hovered over Louisiana for a third day Thursday, shedding more than a foot of additional rain that forced authorities to hurriedly evacuate areas ahead of the storm and rescue hundreds of people who could not escape as the rapidly rising waters swallowed entire neighborhoods.

The huge spiral weather system weakened to a tropical depression as it crawled inland, but it caught many places off guard by following a meandering, unpredictable path. The storm's excruciatingly slow movement meant that Isaac practically parked over low-lying towns and threw off great sheets of water for hours.

"I was blindsided. Nobody expected this," said Richard Musatchia, who fled his water-filled home in LaPlace, northwest of New Orleans.

Inside the fortified levees that protected New Orleans, bursts of sunshine streamed through the thick clouds, and life began to return to normal. But beyond the city, people got their first good look at Isaac's damage: Hundreds of homes were underwater. Half the state was without power. Thousands were staying at shelters.

And the damage may not be done. Even more rain was expected in Louisiana before the storm finally drifts into Arkansas and Missouri.

Isaac dumped as much as 16 inches in some areas, and about 500 people had to be rescued by boat or high-water vehicles. At least two deaths were reported.

Five feet of water poured into Musatchia's home before a neighbor passed by with a boat and evacuated him and his 6-year-old boxer, Renny.

He piled two suitcases, a backpack and a few smaller bags onto the boat and said that was all he had left. He abandoned a brand-new Cadillac and a Harley-Davidson.

"People have their generators, because they thought the power would go out, but no one expected" so much water, Musatchia said.

David Newman was frustrated that the government spent billions of dollars reinforcing New Orleans levees after Katrina, only to see the water inundating surrounding regions.

"The water's got to go somewhere," he said. "It's going to find the weakest link."

The sudden call for evacuations so long after the storm made landfall provoked a debate about whether anyone was to blame.

"The risk that a public official has is, people say, 'Aw, it's a Category 1 storm, and you guys are out there calling for mandatory evacuations,' " Roberts said.

Hundreds of people in lower Jefferson chose to ride out the storm - and many of them had to be rescued, he said.

Eric Blake, a specialist at the hurricane center, said that although Isaac's cone shifted west as it zigzagged toward the Gulf Coast, forecasters accurately predicted its path, intensity and rainfall. He did say the storm came ashore somewhat slower than anticipated.

Blake cautioned against using Katrina as a benchmark for flooding during other storms.

"Every hurricane is different," Blake said. "If you're trying to use the last hurricane to gauge your storm surge risk, it's very dangerous."

Along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain near New Orleans, officials sent scores of buses and dozens of high-water vehicles to help evacuate about 3,000 people as floodwaters lapped against houses and stranded cars.

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The water rose waist-high in some neighborhoods, and the Louisiana National Guard worked with sheriff's deputies to rescue people stuck in their homes.

Crews intentionally breached a levee that was strained by Isaac's floodwaters in southeast Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish, which is outside the federal levee system. At the same time, water at a dam farther north in Mississippi was released in an effort to prevent flooding there.

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